Since spring, CYC youth have been igniting sparks to create beautiful pieces of glass art – and it’s all thanks to our supporters.

A teen from CYC-Fellowship House poses with her glass paperweight.

Because supporters like you voted for CYC, we were named was named a runner up in the Bernzomatic Find Your Fire competition in January. We received a $5,000 grant and partnered with Ignition Community Glass to run glass art programming for our youth.

Teens learned about different types of glass, its everyday uses and how it can be used for art. They had the opportunity to watch how glass blowing and “hot glass” art is done, flame working techniques, and learn how to make glass paperweights, bowls, and beads.

Teens from CYC-Sidney Epstein Youth Center work with torches during a workshop at Ignite Glass Studios.

They also learned important 21st century skills like project planning and collaborating with team members. These skills particularly came to life with a mural that the teens at CYC-Fellowship House put together to represent their Center.

Students work on the CYC-Fellowship House mural together. The multicolored hands represents a diverse community and the blue-green circle at the bottom is the earth. The three hands are holding symbolic items: a banana (sharing food), a hammer (working together), and a flower (peace and beauty).

At the end of the programming, youth came away with dozens of beautiful glass art pieces.

With gorgeous colors swirling through each unique piece, the art is more than just pretty keepsakes for our youth: they are affirmation of the support provided by the CYC community to help each child create, learn, and grow.